Slow solicitors - frustrated

[Delicatebluebutterfly]

Dear all, first time on here today and I am moaning unfortunately. Need advice on how to speed up solicitors on house move. Firstly I am 36 weeks pregnant, due 7.6.14. House process began 15 February and still ongoing, 3 couples in chain, ours cash buyer (all settled) vendors also keen to move. I have not had any proper communication with our solicitor on what searches she is going to do or has completed since process began. Now we are waiting for one document to be cleared that was requested from the vendors solicitor back in March and still waiting. When I asked what was happening with my solicitor she asked me to chase it up with the estate agents and them to chase the vendors solicitor, errr, I thought we were paying her a fee to do that for us! But I chased anyway, still no joy or answers from anyone. Phoned estate agent next day in distress and tears and they were very understanding and said they would get to bottom of it all ASAP. Partner then took over the chasing and the estate agents have said its one document we are waiting for from a management company of the property we are buying for up keep of the local area, I.e an annual fee for tidying the grass/ gardens etc. this company have said it will take upto 20 days to get the information to our solicitor to check over and to change to our name! 20 days! Why? Apparently nobody knows why it takes 20 days (especially when requested back in March) 20 days will of course take me to a week before due date to move. I am getting more and more nervous about this and more stressed but it seems like it is out of our control and someone somewhere is sitting twiddling their thumbs when this should be an easy process. Any advice on what to do, say? Many thanks

Welcome to the real world.
I have bought and sold properties over the years and all the solicitors I have used were slow.
In most cases, you are paying a standard fee so why would they spend their valuable time chasing things for you when there are more valuable cases they could be working on? You are just one of many conveyancing cases they are working on so they wont be doing the chasing for you!!!
You just have to make sure any queries that come to you are fully answered and ensure the other side do the same, and find out what is holding the process and let the estate agent know who can act as a go between.

I had a flat previously and it was a nightmare trying to sell it as my buyers solicitors enquired about every little detail about the flat.
About service charge, water rates , communal stuff, when the building was last serviced , asbestos insulation etc .. all the things that only the managing agent would have records of.
And for very query they would charge you a fee.
They would also take their time in responding.
So best to get the other side and list ALL questions they are going to ask to avoid delays and extra costs.

Thanks, unfortunately it is the real world. I have been racking my brains trying to think of the benefit to them of dragging their heels - maybe they like to feel important?! I understand they must have other cases but you'd thought there would be a little heart there for my situation. I have chased the document she needs this afternoon - a simple phone call now they are sending it through - easy! I read somewhere that tesco tried to put a process together online to speed buying houses quicker but were stopped by some authority or higher body. So looks like we can all see what an ageing unnecessary stress process it is. Europe and Scotland seem to have the right idea. Saying all this I hope it's a long, long time before I ever move again! Thanks again for the chat.

Er, why are you saying it's the solicitors fault when they're waiting for the managing agent / freeholder to provide information? I'm sure you want to know whether the service charge account is all up to date and how much you're likely to have to pay each year before you buy? Perhaps your solicitor should get out the thumb screws to make the managing agent give them the info?!

Hi, because they asked for the info in March and have only just decided to chase it, which I think is a bit poor?! They have not communicated well the whole way through, infact hardly at all.

yes, it is crap - many solicitors seem loth to do any work. I have a good one, but the 'high street' ones on the other end of the transactions have always been pig slow.

keep nagging, phone four times a day if necessary. But it may be a bit late for all that now.